5 Last-Minute 2017 Halloween Prank Ideas That Are Actually Scary

Halloween may be mostly about candy, but it's also about silly pranks — for some, they're even a way of life. Now with so many pranks to choose from, new and old — and so many ways to do them, along with how far you're willing to go to actually pull them off — it's important to be aware that the further you go, the more serious the repercussions that come with messing with your friends, roommates, boyfriend etc could be. Aka, the more hilarious it'll be, because when we're talking actually scary Halloween pranks, it's not worth it if you're not dying of laughter from watching your friends be terrified. Still intrigued? Keep reading.

With Halloween right around the corner, now is as good a time as any to dust off the old prank book. (Or YouTube, which is an absolute treasure trove of ideas and inspiration.) If you're looking for fresh inspo and you're already here reading this, look no further — I've gathered a handful of easy-yet-still-scary prank ideas you can pull off last-minute before 2017's Halloweekend. Give a few of these a shot to see how they land — but, you know, don't be surprised if you try the following out and end up on Craigslist afterwards in a desperate search for a new roommate, or on Reddit asking for advice on how to get your bestie to talk to you again. Don't say I didn't warn you... (Insert evil laugh here.)

Fake Blood

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This is pretty much guaranteed to scare even the least hemophobic person you know. Feigning a blood-induced injury on some part of your body is a very real Halloween prank idea that is sure to get a reaction — and there are so many YouTube videos you can check out to learn how to pull it off, and what the best type of fake blood to buy is. It's up to you and how sharp your acting skills are to do the rest — just be sure to make it really gory and as realistic as possible.

Spiders

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Nobody like spiders — if you're the one person in the world who does and you're reading this, then my apologies. So, this one's pretty self-evident, but the one easy Halloween prank that's both scary (to most people anyway) and relatively cost-effective is creepy crawly spiders. They're pretty easy to find as well: All you have to do is to head to your local Halloween outlet, party store, or even the grocery store, and buy a bag of fake spiders to place in opportune spots around your home or your prankee's home. To pull this one off, I would recommend dumping them in the toilet or in your bathtub/shower.

Creepy Dolls

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This one is another given, creepy dolls are just that: creepy. I remember seeing one of the most legendary haunted dolls, Robert the Doll, during a trip to Key West earlier this year, and honestly, being in that doll's very presence will haunt me until the end of time. So, for this prank, all you have to do is head to your local Salvation Army or Goodwill or that creepy vintage store in your neighborhood that you've always been too afraid to go into, and buy a few old dolls. You can dress them up, or pull off an arm or a leg or an eye, and then strategically place them around your apartment — or, if you're daring, in your roommates bed while they're sleeping. Trust me, they will be horrified.

The Ol' Message On The Mirror Trick

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This is a classic rip-off from I Know What You Did Last Summer, but it's a good one nonetheless. Basically, after you take a shower, scribble a creepy note for the next person to read when the room fills up with steam. Now if you don't have a bathroom that works like that (mine doesn't, for instance) you can always resort to red lipstick — just make sure it's not one you love.

Everything In It's Wrong Place

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This is a good one, but will definitely require a bit more planning. Remember that scene in Amelie where she gets revenge on her bully neighbor by sneaking into his apartment and scrupulously placing — or rather, misplacing — little things around his apartment? That's sort of the idea here, although I'm certainly not suggesting you break into anyone's home. Instead, if you're pranking your roommate, just start with moving little things around your apartment, like their favorite coffee cup to another cupboard or moving their bottle of ketchup to another part of the fridge. Then, once you're comfortable and they seem confused enough, work yourself up to switching lamps to opposite sides of the room, move furniture like your couch or coffee table an inch out of place. After that, you can even switch things in their room, and pretend you don't know what they're talking about when they ask if that lamp has "always been there." If you do it just right, it will really confuse your prankee — in a hilarious, Halloween sort of way.

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